News

STEM conference hosts middle school students from northern Wisconsin

April 9, 2013

Northland College, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC) and Ashland High School hosted around 100 middle school students from 10 school districts as part of the second annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) conference on Tuesday. The Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) 12 organized the conference, which gave area seventh and eighth grade students a first-hand look at STEM fields and careers.

"We decided to start early with our middle school students," said Fred Schlichting with CESA 12. "We feel we need to be exposing kids to these STEM-related careers."

Students received an introduction to what they can accomplish in STEM fields, including a WITC session on how to build wind turbines.

"That was really cool because I'm really into engineering and taking things apart," said Cassie Fox, an eighth grader at Chequamegon Middle School in Glidden.

Fox, along with 18 Chequamegon mid-school students, attended a series of workshops covering topics including meteorology, natural sciences and more. Participating schools worked in cooperation with UW-Extension and CESA to provide a glimpse of what one can do with a STEM career.

"This sort of thing is fantastic," said Dan Kilmore, who teaches science at Chequamegon Middle School. "Every one of my students said it was great."

Schlichting said the conference gives students an opportunity to become familiar with careers and programs available to them. He said that's why they're doing workshops like the ones held at Northland College and WITC-Ashland.

"Just having sat through the sessions at Northland, you've got some kids asking some pretty detailed questions," said Schlichting. "That tells me they have some interest in this area, but they need to see what's out there."

Young Kim, professor of mathematics and computer science at Northland College, said good teachers and mentoring are crucial for students interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields.

"By the time they come to college, it's a little bit late," said Kim. "That's why it's important to start early in kids' education."

Chequamegon Middle School students learned about the makeup of rocks in a session taught by Tom Fitz, associate professor of geoscience at Northland College. Eighth grader Remi Orr said that was "really cool."

"It's just cool how they're formed because some are made out of animals or minerals or other resources like volcanoes and lava and stuff like that," she said.

For Orr, science is her favorite subject. Both Orr and Fox are considering careers in science and technology someday. Orr, who loves animals, is pondering a career as a veterinary technician. Meanwhile, Fox is tossing around the idea of being a marine biologist, veterinarian or something in information technology.

"I'm a big tech geek," she said. "I like computers and programming."

In the 21st century, there will be an ever-increasing demand for a more qualified labor force in technology, biotechnology and engineering, according to Kim.

"A lot of the future job development will be occurring in those fields," he said.

Fox said she just appreciated a chance to get out of school, as well as the hands-on look at STEM fields.

"You can see it and feel it and you're not just looking at it," she said. "It's physically in front of you and you can learn that way."